Nebraska

State News

A Nov. 6 California ballot measure will decide whether to mandate a state referendum for any gas tax increases, retroactive to January 2017. The immediate impact would be the repeal of Senate Bill (SB) 1, which raises an estimated $5.2 billion annually for...

As more state legislatures convene for the 2018 legislative session, transportation funding bills are proving to be a popular topic. The Colorado Senate chose transportation funding as the first bill to introduce this year. Senate Bill 18-001 would divert 10 percent...

The Nebraska Department of Transportation has told state lawmakers that it faces a $6 billion budget gap over the next two decades. Read More>> The Texas Department of Transportation has decided to exclude new tolling projects from the agency’s updated 10-year...

Approved The Missouri Senate voted May 10 to establish the “21st Century Missouri Transportation System Task Force” to evaluate the state's transportation infrastructure, the state's transportation funding, any shortfall the department is facing, and provide...

The New Year brought adjusted motor fuel taxes to nine states, with seven states increasing their motor fuel taxes and two states decreasing the tax. Of the states that increased their motor fuel taxes, three of them—Florida, Georgia and North Carolina—did so based on...

As Tennessee lawmakers prepare for discussions on increasing the state gas tax, a Dec. 1 Vanderbilt University poll has found that 67 percent of respondents would support such a hike to fund improvements to roads and bridges and ensure economic growth and public...

With Tyler Kane, Transportation Investment Advocacy Center Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) Commissioner John Schroer delivered a public presentation on Sept. 27 about why the state needs to increase transportation funding and what neighboring states have...

by Carolyn Kramer, Transportation Investment Advocacy Center Manager A new analysis of eight states that passed legislation to increase their state motor fuel taxes in 2015 to pay for important new transportation improvements shows that 98 percent of Republican and...

With Tyler Kane, Transportation Investment Advocacy Center Gas taxes increased on July 1 by 4.9 cents per gallon in Washington state, and 0.9 cents per gallon in Maryland. The same day, California decreased its gas tax by 2.2 cents per gallon, while Nebraska and North...

with Tyler Kane, Transportation Investment Advocacy Center Budget committees in New Jersey’s Senate and General Assembly on June 23 approved legislation to increase funding for the Transportation Trust Fund (TTF), sending the identical companion bills to each floor...

by Tyler Kane, Transportation Investment Advocacy Center Engineers within the Nebraska Department of roads proposed May 30 installing “super two” highways throughout the state, which feature wider shoulders and extra passing lanes at approximately five mile windows....

Nebraska lawmakers April 12 approved a bill that will create a state transportation infrastructure bank. Initial funding includes $50 million from the state’s rainy day fund and the 2 cents-per-gallon gas tax increase, which was signed into law in 2015. The bill also...

Nebraska is on its way to passing a transportation funding bill, Alabama and Mississippi are considering gasoline tax increases, and Pennsylvania, New Hampshire and Connecticut are reviewing legislation to protect transportation revenue. In Utah, the legislature...

There’s good news and bad news to report about the condition of America’s bridges. The good news is there were 2,574 fewer structurally deficient bridges in 2015 compared to the number in 2014. The bad news is there are still 58,500 on the structurally deficient...

Forty-four bills to increase transportation funding have been considered in 23 states so far in the 2016 legislative session, according to an updated report from the Transportation Investment Advocacy Center. Of those considering methods to increase transportation...

cents-per-gallon**

Electric Vehicle Fee: A $75 alternative fuel fee is imposed on any vehicles that do not use motor fuels. The fee is charged when the vehicle is registered, and every time the registration is renewed.

Excise Tax: All special fuels (including gasohol, biodiesel, CNG and LNG) are taxed at the state motor fuels tax rate of 7.5 cents-per-gallon or GGE, plus the motor fuel s retailer tax of 2.8 cents-per-gallon or GGE.

** Variable-Rate Formula: Three components to the state gas tax—variable, fixed, and wholesale. Gas tax includes a 16.3 cents-per-gallon flat excise tax (increased May 2015, fully implemented January 2019); a 5 percent tax on the average wholesale price of fuel (charged to producers, suppliers, distributors, wholesalers, importers and retailers of motor fuels); and a variable rate tax which is increased as needed by the state legislature to ensure adequate funding for transportation projects.

*Federal funding percentages are from an ARTBA analysis of FHWA Highway Statistics data, total ten year average 2004-2013 from tables SF-1 and SF-2. The percent is the ratio of federal aid reimbursements to the state and total state capital outlays and is indicative of the importance of the federal aid program to state capital spending for highways and bridges. Does not include local capital spending. Federal highway reimbursements are primarily used for capital outlays, including construction, right of way and engineering, but are also used for debt service for GARVEE bonds.

Sponsor:

The Transportation Investment Advocacy Center (TIAC) is a key component of ARTBA’s “Transportation Makes America Work!”™ (TMAW) program and supported through voluntary contributions and sponsorships. To become a sponsor or to make a contribution, contact TIAC Director Carolyn Kramer at ckramer@artba.org or 202-289-4434. Also contact Ms. Kramer if you have questions or comments about any reports or case studies published through the TIAC.

The TIAC Education Program:

In addition to the dynamic www.transportationinvestment.org site, the TIAC program includes an annual workshop in Washington, D.C., and ongoing webinars for transportation investment advocates featuring case studies, best practices, and the latest in political and media strategies. State and local chamber of commerce executives, state legislators, state and local transportation officials, “Better Roads & Transportation” group members, industry and labor executives, and leaders of state and local chapters of national organizations who have an interest in transportation development programs are welcomed to participate.